| The African mask is considered amongst the finest creations in the art world and is highly sought after by art collectors. Latest developments and understanding of Aesthetic principles, religious and ceremonial values, have brought about a greater insight into the ideas and moral values that African artists express in their art.
During celebrations, initiations, crop harvesting, war preparation, peace and trouble times, masks are worn by a chosen or initiated dancer. It can be worn in three different ways: vertically covering the face: as helmets, encasing the entire head, and as crest, resting upon the head, which was commonly covered by material as part of the disguise. The masks often represent a spirit and it is strongly believed that the spirit of the ancestors possesses the wearer.
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